Kim Moses swears strange, unexplained things happen on the set of CBS' hit series "Ghost Whisperer," which might not be entirely fictional.
The Donora native and executive producer of "Ghost Whisperer" says her crew and cast insist that a house portrayed on the show -- the same house, incidentally, that was Boo Radley's home in "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- is haunted. For one thing, people often hear commotion coming from inside the house when they are standing outside, but when they enter, nobody is there.
"There was a time when Christopher Columbus wanted to sail around the world, and everyone said the earth was flat and he'd fall off the edge of the world," Moses says. "Who's to say that there aren't parallel worlds?"
Have you had issues with apparitions? Maybe she can help.
Moses -- along with Edgewood native David Conrad, who plays the recently deceased character of Jim Clancy on the show -- will be coming to Joseph-Beth Booksellers on the South Side today to meet fans and sign copies of her new book. "Ghost Whisperer: Spirit Guide" -- which has comprehensive information about the show, episodes, photos, interviews with the cast and more -- includes a how-to guide for communicating with ghosts. If you think your house might be haunted, never fear: The book gives instructions on what to do about the ghostly residents.
"It's the keys to unlock the spirit world and take your own journey in that world," Moses says. She says she never even saw a psychic before she developed "Ghost Whisperer," but then a ghost hunter inspected Moses' home and claimed it had otherworldy spirits.
Moses, a graduate of the former Mon Valley Catholic High School, is thrilled by the success of "Ghost Whisperer," which runs on Friday nights and was rated the No. 10 show last week in the Nielsen Media Research ratings.
"To see it just getting so much traction is amazing, and so exciting for us," Moses says. Trying to get a hit show on a Friday night, she says, "is almost like catching lightning in a bottle."
Jennifer Love Hewitt -- who plays the lead character Melinda Gordon, who can communicate with ghosts -- carries the show well, and is perfect for the role, Moses says. Hewitt fell in love with the role, and told Moses that she wanted Melinda to be the most loved character on television.
"The moment we met her, we knew she was a television star," she says. "Everybody around us agreed that she is the one."
Moses attributes much of the show's success to the elements of fear and spookiness, the mystery, and the emotion and drama as the ghost characters try to resolve unfinished business from their earthly lives.
"If the writers don't cry when they write and the directors don't cry when they direct it, then we know the audience isn't going to cry," Moses says. "We get thousands of e-mails from around the world from people saying how moved they are."
Moses says she can't wait to come back to Pittsburgh, which she says shaped her community-oriented value system and helped her survive the dramatically different but exciting world of Hollywood. She hopes to inspire young people and show them that "it's important to dream big, and truly, anything is possible."
"I feel obligated go back and hold that mirror up to young people," she says. "l'll always have a very dear spot in my heart for this area. It's always in you."
